COMMUNITY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20140141290A1
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eCAMION Inc.
• Original Assignee: eCAMION Inc.
• Inventors: Pizzurro, Carmine, Sudan, Himanshu, McKinnon, Peter, Canali, Leo
• Application Number:
  US14/087,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20140141290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/50
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/14 using wedges
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/627 Stationary installations, e.g. power plant buffering or backup power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/10 Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/509 characterised by the type of connection, e.g. mixed connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/514 Methods for interconnecting adjacent batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/581 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/583 in response to current, e.g. fuses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44 Clasp, clip, support-clamp, or required component thereof

Abstract

A community energy storage system comprises a cabinet, at least one battery bank mounted within the cabinet, the at least one battery bank comprising a plurality of battery modules electrically coupled to one another in series; and processing structure for monitoring at least one parameter of each of the battery modules, and in the event that the at least one parameter is outside of a threshold value, deactivating the at least one battery bank.

Claims

1. A community energy storage system comprising:

a cabinet;

at least one battery bank mounted within the cabinet, the at least one battery bank comprising a plurality of battery modules electrically coupled to one another in series; and

processing structure for;

monitoring at least one parameter of each of the battery modules; and

in the event that the at least one parameter is outside of a threshold value, deactivating the at least one battery bank.

2. The community energy storage system of claim 1 where the at least one parameter is at least one of temperature, voltage, current, state of charge, cell capacity and efficiency.

3. The community energy storage system of claim I wherein the processing structure indicates to a user which one of the battery modules has a parameter value outside of the threshold value.

4. A community energy storage system comprising:

a cabinet;

at least one terminal rail mounted within the cabinet, the terminal rail comprising a plurality of terminal connectors;

at least one battery bank comprising a plurality of battery modules positionable within the cabinet, each of the plurality of battery modules comprising a positive terminal and a negative terminal configured to electrically couple to a respective one of the plurality of terminal connectors; and

a plurality of connectors configured to electrically couple the plurality of terminal connectors to one another such that the plurality of battery modules are electrically coupled in series.

5. The community energy storage system of claim 4 wherein the positive and negative terminals are mechanically engaged with a respective terminal connector via friction fit.

6. The community energy storage system of claim 5 wherein each battery module is readily removeable by disengaging the positive and negative terminals from the respective terminal connector.

7. The community energy storage system of claim 4 further comprising switching gear configured to selectively activate and deactivate the at least one battery bank.

8. A method of monitoring a community energy storage system having at least one battery bank comprising a plurality of battery modules, the method comprising:

receiving a value of at least one parameter of each of the battery modules;

comparing the value of the at least one parameter to a threshold value; and

in the event that the value of the at least one parameter is outside the threshold value, deactivating the at least one battery bank.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one parameter is at least one of temperature, voltage, current, state of charge, cell capacity and efficiency.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one parameter is temperature, the method further comprising:

comparing the temperature to a non-critical temperature range; and

in the event that the temperature outside the non-critical temperature range, activating one of a heating system and a cooling system.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein in the event that the value of the at least one parameter is outside the threshold value, the method further comprises:

indicating to a user which one of the battery modules has a value outside the threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of indicating comprises displaying a location of the battery module that has a value outside the threshold value on a display screen.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the community energy storage system comprises at least two battery banks and in the event that one of the battery banks is deactivated the other one of the battery banks remains activated.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein in the event that the at battery module that has a value outside the threshold value is replaced, the method further comprises:

activating the deactivated battery bank when the voltage of the activated battery bank and the voltage of the deactivated battery bank are approximately equal.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program executable by a computer to perform a method of monitoring a community energy storage system having at least one battery bank comprising a plurality of battery modules, the method comprising:

receiving a value of at least one parameter of each of the battery modules;

comparing the value of the at least one parameter to a threshold value; and

in the event that the value of the at least one parameter is outside the threshold value, deactivating the at least one battery bank.

16. A battery module comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of groups of lithium-ion cells positioned in the housing, each group of lithium-ion cells comprising a plurality of lithium-ion cells electrically coupled to one another in parallel, wherein the plurality of groups of lithium-ion cells are connected in series; and

a positive and a negative terminal connector extending from the housing, the positive terminal electrically coupled to a positive series terminal of the plurality of groups of lithium-ion cells and the negative terminal electrically coupled to a negative series terminal of the plurality of groups of lithium-ion cells.

17. The battery module of claim 16 further comprising:

a board comprising a plurality of conductive members mounted thereon, the board configured to be positioned within the housing adjacent the plurality of groups of lithium-ion cells, wherein the plurality of groups of lithium-ion cells are electrically coupled to one another via the plurality conductive members.

18. A wedge clamp comprising:

a housing having a channel defined therein, the channel comprising a generally flat surface and a tapered surface opposite the flat surface;

at least one stopping peg extending into the channel; and

a rolling clamp pin positioned within the housing, the rolling clamp pin moveable within the channel and prevented from rolling out of the channel by the at least one stopping peg.